During the second round, the Rangers struggled to contain Alex Ovechkin as the 'Great 8' scored three critical goals. The Devils boast a similar offensive weapon in Ilya Kovalchuk, who can deliver his dynamic shot from anywhere on the ice. Don't expect him to be as quiet as Game 1.

NYR- Ryan Callahan

Make no mistake, Callahan is the leader of these Rangers. However, he hasn't quite produced on the big stage, posting only an assist over his last five games. Expect him to step up in Game 2 and make life even harder for his cross-river rivals. Projected starting goaltenders:

Game 1 looked, felt, and essentially became two teams getting to know each other. Yes, they faced off six times during the regular season, and yes these two teams have no love lost over the years, however, they insisted on playing chicken throughout the tilt.

Following a back-and-forth first period, and a nail biting second period, the two teams entered the third with no score. And then the Rangers came out hard, scoring in the first minute and then capitalizing on their opportunities on the power play and with the empty net, finishing with a 3-0 score. Henrik Lundqvist kept them in the game while all the bounces eventually went their way.

To win, simply put, the Devils can't allow any of that to be repeated. They need to remain aggressive, get their shots through to Lundqvist, and most importantly, finish their scoring chances. If they don't, the Rangers can continue to play tight defense, remain poised, and pick their spots. This series still could go either way but winning Game 1 might be all the momentum these Rangers need to win Game 2. Prediction: Rangers 3, Devils 1

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